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If Turner doesn’t break out for the Pacers, then his teammate Domantas Sabonis will need to for the franchise to make a collective jump this season. Sabonis will anchor a reloaded Indiana bench unit that features newly signed playmaker Tyreke Evans and shooter Doug McDermott. That might not be as glamorous as a starting job, but maybe Sabonis could push for a finishing role. Though he was a reserve, he occasionally ended playoff games over Turner, depending on matchups.

Sabonis’s sophomore campaign was a far cry from his flopped rookie season with the Thunder. In Oklahoma City, he was used as a de facto spot-up shooter and played the type of shoddy defense you’d expect from an inexperienced rookie big man. After being part of the much-ridiculed package sent to Indiana for Paul George, Sabonis made considerable strides entering his sophomore season, getting much stronger and quicker. Suddenly, he was the Pacers’ best rebounder, and a player coaches could trust to do his job on defense. If he can avoid careless fouls moving forward, he’ll be able to stay on the floor for longer stretches.

Pacers head coach Nate McMillan also empowered Sabonis as a screener and cutter, which unlocked some of the finishing and playmaking ability scouts saw from him at Gonzaga. The next stage for Sabonis is to improve his off hand to become even more dynamic around the rim and in the post; as it is, he almost exclusively uses his left hand. In spite of his deficiencies, though, he dropped at least 20 points three times after the All-Star break last season. Minimal enhancements to his game can make those impact scoring nights more frequent.

Sabonis struggled as a spot-up shooter in Oklahoma City, but Indiana shouldn’t forget about his shooting. Sabonis shot 35.1 percent from 3 last season, but on only 37 attempts, a low number made more egregious by the 107 midrange shots he took from deeper than 16 feet, which he made only 34.6 percent of. The sooner Sabonis’s game catches up to math, the better: His 3-point attempts led to 1.05 points per shot, while his attempts from midrange garnered a not-so-nice 0.69 points per shot. When Sabonis sets a screen it makes zero sense for him to pop to 18 feet when he’s equally capable from 3. If it sounds like Sabonis is a more complete big man than Turner, it’s because he very well might be. The Pacers should start using him like it.

Turner and Sabonis spent the summer getting leaner and faster. "We want to make it work," Sabonis says. "We want the coaches to trust us." Turner lost weight, went all-in on yoga, and worked to make his hips stronger. "I want us to be interchangeable on defense," Turner says. Sabonis also focused on hips. Honestly, I have never heard two men talk more about their hips.

Sabonis will have to close out on shooters without letting them blow by him. He hopes he is limber enough now to cover in one efficient step the same distance he covered in two last season, he says. Both practiced switching onto guards as a way to hone dexterity. In Dallas, Turner drilled one-on-one against Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic. (Turner's review of Doncic: "He's pretty crafty.")

...

Sabonis wants to launch more 3s so that Turner can lurk around the rim, too. If both become above-average 3-point shooters, this gets really spicy. Sabonis is already a skilled passer. "I always tell Myles, 'I will get you some dunks,''' Sabonis says.

If Sabonis struggles and Turner remains a little too choosy to worry defenses (he tried just 2.4 3s per game last year and told me he is focused more on shooting 40 percent than upping his attempts), they might not bring enough combined zip.

Both are good enough post players to punish little guys on switches. They like the idea of smushing a small-ball league. "Having two big presences like us -- it strikes fear into opponents," Turner says.

Easy, big fella. Still: This feels like something that can work in the regular season as Turner and Sabonis absorb the NBA game and develop chemistry. The Pacers will surround them with more dangerous shooters and playmakers this season.

Is it just me or is Domas way more explosive and athletic this season? His power dunks are not only emphatic, he just seems to be exploding off the ground more and jumping higher when he throws them down. Love it!

His throw down dunk was top highlight last night on ESPN Top 10

Originally Posted by GonzagasaurusFlex

Is it just me or is Domas way more explosive and athletic this season? His power dunks are not only emphatic, he just seems to be exploding off the ground more and jumping higher when he throws them down. Love it!

Is it just me or is Domas way more explosive and athletic this season? His power dunks are not only emphatic, he just seems to be exploding off the ground more and jumping higher when he throws them down. Love it!

He's gotten leaner and in a better shape this offseason. That might have helped with his elevation and explosiveness.